The Baron's Beer Tastings

For my blind beer tastings I use three ratings categories: Taste, Creativity, and Drinkability.

Usually between three and eight judges participate and as few judges as possible are informed of what they are drinking.

Many of the winners were unanimous, including the Heart of Darkness, Wildflower Wheat and Hodad. There is a bit of a Vermont bias, as several recurring judges are from Vermont - including myself - and many of the tastings took place there. That is not to say the beers were undeserving though. There are a ton of good beers coming out of Vermont these days. That being said, I have noticed local beers seem to have an advantage, which could be a result of freshness.

Suggestions are welcome! If there is a specific type of beer you would like to see get a tasting, or a brewery you feel deserves a look, let me know in the comments.

Summer 2012: Random Mix

Winner: Session - Black Ale
Runner Up: 2 Brothers - Domaine DuPage

Notes: This tasting was conducted by several judges choosing single beers that appealed to them but they had not tried and combining them all into one tasting.

Winter 2012: Stouts

Winner: Magic Hat - Heart of Darkness
Runner Up: Samuel Smith's - Oatmeal Stout
Third Place: Wolover's - Oatmeal Stout

Notes: This was a small tasting, but it featured one of my all-time favorite beers, the Magic Hat Heart of Darkness. We will have another stout tasting in the near future to see how it holds up against increased competition.

Winter 2013: Porters

Winner: Fiddlehead - Hodad
Runner Up: Long Trail - Culmination
Third Place: Switchback - Porter

Also Ran:
Rock Art - Midnight Madness Smoked Porter
St. Peter's - Old Style Porter
Samuel Smith's - Taddy Porter
Stone - Smoked Chipotle Porter
Rogue - Mocha Porter

Notes: The unanimous winner, Hodad was extremely highly rated. It is a chocolate coconut porter brewed by Fiddlehead of Shelburne, Vermont. All three medal winners were Vermont beers, and including the Rock Art, half of the entrants were from Vermont.

Summer 2014: Summer Brews

Winner: Great South Bay - Blonde Ambition
Runner Up: Sierra Nevada - Summerfest
Third Place: River Horse - Summer Blonde Ale

Also Ran:
Sam Adams - Summer Ale
Peak - Summer Session Ale
Schmaltz - David's Slingshot
Victory - Summer Love
Ommegang - Cooperstown Ale
Brooklyn - Summer Ale

Notes: This tasting was conducted in NYC, and was another case of a local beer taking the crown, (Great South Bay is a Long Island based brewery). Aside from the winner, which continues to be a well-loved summer beer for me, none of the entrants in this tasting were particularly well regarded. It was a struggle for several judges to select a second and third favorite. 

Summer 2014: Wheat Beers

Winner: Wolovers - Wildflower Wheat
Runner Up: Foley Brothers - Ginger Wheat
Third Place: Magic Hat - Circus Boy

Also Ran:
Northshire - Hefeweizen
Rising Tide - Spinniker
Sierra Nevada - Kellerweis
Drop In - River Song Crystal Wheat
Rock Art - Maple Wheat
Victory - Mad King Weiss

Notes: Another unanimous winner, and all-Vermont podium. 6 of the 9 entrants were from Vermont. 

Fall 2014: Brown Ales

Winner: Foley Brothers - Maple Brown Ale
Runner Up: 16 Mile - Tiller Brown Ale
Third Place: Fiddlehead - Tejas Maron

Also Ran:
Crop - Brown Ale
Samuel Smith's - Nut Brown Ale
Gritty's - Best Brown Ale
Digfish Head: Indian Brown Ale
Avery - Ellie's Brown Ale
WV Homebrew - Brown Ale
WV Homebrew - Maple Brown Ale
WV Homebrew - Caribou Slobber
Bell's - Best Brown Ale
Rogue - Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Goose Island - 6th Day Festival Brown Ale
Switchback - Brown Ale

Notes: None of the entrants in this tasting were particularly well-loved, and the judges generally agreed it was difficult to tell each brown ale apart. Aside from the Gritty's, which was pretty much undrinkable, all the beers were closely rated. What pushed the favorites ahead was unique characteristics that made them stand out such as the maple flavor of the winner, and the hops-forward nature of the third place winner. My brother participated as a judge and contributed 3 homebrews to this tasting.

Winter 2014: Mixed Belgian and Belgian-style

Winner: Orval - Trappist Ale
Runner Up: Delirium - Tremens (tie)
Runner Up: St. Bernardus - Abt 12 (tie)

Also Ran:
La Chouffe - Belgian Pale Ale
Saison Dupont - Farmhouse Ale
Flying Fish - Abbey Dubbel
North Coast - Pranqster

Notes: It was somewhat difficult to compare these as there were several different styles. Nonetheless, the deep complexity and balance of the Orval showed why it is considered one of the best beers in the world. The Delerium is also a personal favorite. All of their varieties are spectacular.

Spring 2015: Dunkels

Winner: Ayinger - Altbairisch Dunkel
Runner Up: Franziskaner - Hefe-Weisse Dunkel
Third Place: Erdinger - Weissbier Dunkel

Also Ran:
Weihenstephaner - Hefeweissbier Dunkel

Summer 2015: Saisons

Winner: WV Homebrew - Strawberry Saison
Runner Up: Firestone Walker - Opal
Third Place: Allagash - Saison
Fourth Place: Ommegang - Three Eyed Raven

Also Ran:
Two Roads - Worker's Comp Saison
Ommegang - Hennepin
Harpoon - Nordic Saison
Pretty Things - Jack D'Or
Saison Dupont - Farmhouse Ale
Brooklyn - Sorachi Ace
Boulevard - Saison Brett
Peak - Ginger Saison
Simple Roots - Old World Saison

Notes: My brother's homebrew won this tasting with an excellent strawberry saison which was quite tasty despite not having time to bottle condition. While he did not vote for it himself, most of the other judges appreciated how the strawberry flavor stood out from the pack. Generally the judges were not fans of the traditional saison style, as evidenced by the high ratings for the homebrew and the Three Eyed Raven, the only dark saison in the group. I personally found the Opal to be fantastic, and liked almost all of the beers in this tasting.


Winter 2015: Stouts

Winner: Left Hand - Milk Stout

Runner Up: Magic Hat - Feast of Fools
Third Place: Crop - Stout

Also Ran:
Founders - Breakfast Stout
14th Star - Maple Breakfast Stout
Lagunitas - Cappuccino Stout
Highwater - Campfire Stout
Rockingham - Belly of the Beast
Simple Roots - Coffee by the Hearth
Rock Art - Vermont Spruce Stout
Queen City - Barge Canal
Bluejacket - Mexican Radio
Bluejacket - Figure 8
WV Homebrew - Raspberry Stout


Spring 2016: Random Mix

Winner: Ayinger - Brau Weisse
Runner Up: Delerium - Deleria
Third Place: Saison Dupont - Triomfbier Vooruit

Also Ran:
Wyndridge - 10 Point Ale
Samuel Adams - Sparkling Ale
Saucony Creek - Maple Mistress

Fall 2016: Amber's and Red Ales

Winner: 16 Mile - Amber Sun Ale
Runner Up: Ommegang - Rare Vos
Third Place: Elysian - Men's Room Original Red

Also Ran:
Bells Brewery - Amber Ale
New Belgium - Fat Tire
Peak Organic - Amber Ale
Breckenridge - Avalanche Amber Style Ale

Notes: None of these beers were anything to rave about, and the judges were generally underwhelmed. Those in the Also Ran category were particularly disappointing. The winner was a quality beer, and the second time in the medals for Delaware based brewery 16 Mile. The runner up gets a partial asterisk as it is a Belgian style amber and not technically the same type as the rest. There are likely better ambers out there, but the medal winners were enjoyable.

Fall 2016: IPAs

Winner: Lost Nation - Mosaic IPA

Runner Up: Oskar Blues - Pinner Throwback IPA
Third Place: Lagunitas - IPA

Also Ran:
Dogfishhead - 60 Minute IPA
Cigar City - Jai Alai
Left Hand - Warrior IPA
Sierra Nevada - Pale Ale
Rising Tide - Maine Island Trail Ale
Knee Deep - Hop Shortage
Stone - Unapologetic IPA
Glutenberg - IPA

Notes: The top three were universally enjoyed by the judges and stood head and shoulders above the pack. The crisp citrus flavor of the winner was quite enjoyable. The Pinner was also a well-crafted and refreshing brew. It should be noted that the Lagunitas was the best bang for the buck at $4 for the large bottle, and was well liked. A few of the better known beers like Sierra Nevada and Dogfishhead were underwhelming and did not place as highly as expected. Generally we tried to stick to single IPAs but there was some variety in the group. This tasting took place in Vermont and was another case of a local beer scoring the win. Note all the cans present. Clearly that is becoming a thing.


Winter 2016: Random Mix

Winner: River Horse - Cherry Berliner Weiss
Runner Up: Trillium - Melcher Street
Third Place: Frost - Dark Hop Ale

Also Ran:
Lost Nation - The Wind
Foley Brothers - Maple Brown Ale
Switchback - Ale
Magic Hat - Feast of Fools
Pipeworks - Cucumber Saison
Hermit Thrush - Stickney Kreik
Queen City - Scotch Ale

Notes: This was not a blind tasting, and only myself and my brother judged. In an effort to weed out weaker competition, we tried to include beers we knew we liked or thought we would like. The styles varied widely, but in general there was a theme of unusual flavors. Despite the high number of Vermont beers, it was New Jersey based River Horse that took the win with a bold yet drinkable tart cherry weiss. I have been enjoying a lot of sour beers this past year and the River Horse has just the right amount of zing while still remaining balanced. The Hermit Thrush was also a tart cherry sour beer, but did not compare well as the extreme tartness and sourness made it difficult to finish. The Trillium was an excellent pale ale with some delightful subtle flavor combinations. Newcomer Frost surprised with a rich, complex Dark Hop Ale that was more well rounded than most dark IPAs. Overall our mission was accomplished as we thoroughly enjoyed almost all of the beers and were pleasantly surprised by the ones we hadn't tried.


Spring 2017: Random Mix

Winner: Tree House - Green

Runner Up: The Bruery - Tart of Darkness
Third Place: Tree House - Julius

Also Ran:
Brasserie d'Achouffe - La Chouffe
Rodenbach - Grand Cru
Atlantic - Bar Harbor Real Ale
Maui - Coconut Hiwa
Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde
Lawsons Finest Liquids - Sip of Sunshine
New Belgium - Clutch
Petrus - Aged Pale
Chimay - Cinq Cents Ale
Lost Nation - Mosaic IPA

Notes:  This mix was very diverse, covering several different countries and styles. Only two beers scored poorly, the Atlantic, mostly because by comparison the others were better, and the New Belgium which was one of two sour stouts and clearly second best. The other sour stout, Tart of Darkness had some extreme funkiness, to the delight of most judges and the dismay of others. However it was the two Tree House beers that stole the show. The rich, fresh, bitter citrus flavor of the Green was incredible. Almost every judge had it in their top three. The Julius was also popular, giving Tree House an unprecedented two beers on the podium. Overall the quality of beers was quite high, including a previous winner from Lost Nation, and several world-class breweries such as Chimay, Rodenbach and Unibroue. In another tasting several of these beers may have made the podium but the unique quality of the Tree House offerings left them in the dust.

Summer 2021: Double IPAs

Winner: River Roost - Project Object #7

Runner Up: District 96/Equilibrium - Half Full

Third Place: Upper Pass - Cloud Drop

Also Ran:

Foam - The Shining

Four Quarters - Spectra

Notes: Another Vermont-heavy lineup here, with all but the District 96/Equilibrium collaboration from the Green Mountain State. This was a blind tasting with 3 judges and there were definitely some surprises. The winner blew the competition away. It was the last beer sampled, and up until then the judges felt this was a lackluster group. River Roost consistently produces some of the best IPAs in the country and it was great to see them get credit for their excellence. Curiously I had previously enjoyed both Spectra and The Shining and gave them high marks, but when sampling blind they did not impress. 

I would be interested to try a similar tasting with other DIPA offerings from the same breweries. Foam, Four Quarters and Equilibrium all have DIPAs I like better than those sampled. I would not be surprised if River Roost still comes out on top though. They’re really that good.

Summer 2021: Fruited Double IPAs

Winner: Equilibrium - Fluctuating Fruits: Papaya and Pineapple

Runner Up: Equilibrium/3 Floyds - Infinite Mmm…Osa

Third Place: Mast Landing/Hoof Hearted - How’s Yer Capacity Now?

Also Ran: 

Brix City - Parrot Jams

Notes: Only two judges for this one, with just one of us tasting blind. Total agreement on all the brews. The Brix City beer was good, but as the only one with lactose it stood out as too sweet. We really enjoyed the funky/sour flavor from the papaya in the winner. Both Equilibrium beers stood out from the competition, with the fruit and hops flavors well integrated. The Mast Landing/Hoof Hearted entry tasted great and was a good representation of the style, but copious amounts of swirling fruit sediment hindered our enjoyment.

Fall 2021: Double IPAs

Winner: Foam/Horace Aged Ales - Pandion

Runner Up: Equilibrium/Horace Aged Ales - Hyla Versicolor

Third Place: Other Half - Juice Capsules

Also Ran: Tree House - Summer

Notes: Blind tasting with two judges. Both the winner and the runner up were collaborations with Horace Aged Ales and both had an incredible pop of juiciness. It was better integrated in the Foam offering, which was a spectacular beer. The Tree House offering had a dirty, overly bitter lingering hops taste and was clearly last place. All four sampled were quite fresh. The Equilibrium was so juicy it took on an enjoyable candy quality. The Other Half was balanced and well constructed. Overall the quality of all three medal winners was outstanding and this was a highly enjoyable tasting.

Winter 2021: Double IPAs

Winner: Tree House - King JJJuliusss

Runner Up: Foam - Experimental Jet Set

Third Place: Red Clover - 3rd Anniversary DIPA

Also Ran: Other Half - Double HDHC Mylar Bags

Notes: I greatly enjoyed all the entries in this blind tasting, and my lowest rated was an 8 overall. Double IPAs have been my favorite style recently and there were some excellent examples here.

The winner was simply splendid and there’s no question why it is one of the highest rated beers in the world. The Other Half entry while tasty, unfortunately had some sludge in the can and this was hard for the judges to get past when the others were so exceptional.

Foam’s Experimental Jet Set has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and also has some of the best can art I’ve come across.

The Red Clover beer was very delicious and I was impressed this somewhat new brewery held their own with the big boys.

Spring 2022: Double IPAs

Winner: Drowned Lands - Deep Terra

Runner Up: Other Half - All Strata Everything 

Third Place: Fidens - Dream and Duty

Also Ran:

Fidens - Illuminating Serenity

Tree House - Very HHHazyyy

Tree House - Emperor Julius

Equilibrium - Kinetics

Notes: There were some serious heavyweights in this tasting and they did not disappoint. Some of the best breweries in the northeast were included, and there was a separate play-in tasting beforehand to decide which beer(s) from Tree House, Fidens and Other Half would make it to the big dance.

The results were somewhat surprising. The 8 judges overwhelmingly preferred the entries from Drowned Lands and Other Half, with the former narrowly claiming victory. 

Most judges had never had Drowned Lands and were a little shocked they won. Deep Terra is probably their flagship, but I've tried maybe a dozen of their IPAs and they’re all super clean and juicy. This tiny brewery in Warwick, NY can definitely stand among the best in the IPA business.

I have been a huge Other Half fan for a while now, and this Strata beer was impressively bright and fresh-tasting. Third place was a toss-up with Emperor Julius and Illuminating Serenity coming close, but Dream and Duty beat them out. I really enjoyed all three. 

Very HHHazyyy was by far the least favorite, despite defeating several other Tree House offerings in the play-in. 

Overall this tasting was one of the most fun. It featured an incredibly strong field and showed how many breweries are making high-quality hazy IPAs these days.